RWB Evidence Based Study

A Case Illustration of
Team Red, White & Blue
February 2016
Caroline Angel, Ph.D., R.N.
Nicholas J. Armstrong, Ph.D.
THROUGH AN EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH
ENRICHING
VETERANS’ LIVES
MEASUREMENT AND
EVALUATION SERIES

About the IVMF’s Measurement and Evaluation Series
IVMF’s Measurement and Evaluation series focuses on the critical topics of program evaluation, per-
formance measurement, and evidence-based practice. The series aims to promote greater learning,
application of leading practices, transparency, and ultimately impact in service delivery across our
nation’s community of organizations serving veterans and military families. The series will highlight
examples of organizations employing various approaches to evaluating and communicating impact.
It will also include briefs and related tools to inform both providers and donors on leading practices,
methods, and noteworthy developments in evidence-based practice.
Acknowledgments
This collaboration and the efforts leading up to it would not have been possible were it not for
a cadre of supporters. We are grateful to Mike Erwin, Lou Nemec, Carolyn Westlake, and Laura
Werber for their contributions to the design, implementation, and analysis of the research and
data in this report. Special thanks also go to Dr. Mike Haynie and Mark Erwin for igniting the
spark that ultimately led to the development of the Eagle Research Center. Team RWB would
not be what it is without a critical team of full-time executive staff who provide the leadership for
the 95,000-member organization, oversee the Team’s day-to-day operations, and value the im-
portance of evidence-based programming. Many thanks to Team RWB leaders Blayne Smith, J.J.
Pinter, Brandon Young, Dan Brostek, and Joe Quinn for your critical input and feedback on the
core knowledge, research, and writing of this report. Thank you to Team RWB Regional Direc-
tors, Zack Armstrong, Georgina Biehl, Garrett Cathcart, Brennan Mullaney, and Sarah Roberts.
Additional thanks to Andrew Hutchinson, Laken Stutzman, John Willis, Nita Pennardt, Donnie
Starling, Eric Engelhardt, and Patrick Griffith. We thank thousands of Team RWB members who
have participated in the research. Special thanks to Gabby Conlin, Kate Bielak, Jerry Wood,
Dawn Boyle, Anthony Ritchie, and the Syracuse, New York Team RWB Chapter for your contribu-
tions to this study. We would also like to thank IVMF staff Bonnie Chapman and Kerry Manahan
and research assistants Susana Santiago and Ryan Van Slyke for their contributions in the early
stages of this paper.
This entire project, from data collection to publication, is volunteer-led and does not have any formal
funding or external sponsorship by either Team RWB or the IVMF.
Suggested Citation (APA)
Angel, C., & Armstrong, N. J. (2016). Enriching Veterans’ Lives Through an Evidence Based
Approach: A Case Illustration of Team Red, White & Blue (Measurement and Evaluation Series,
Paper No. 1). Syracuse, NY: Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse University.

About the Authors
CAROLINE ANGEL, PH.D., R.N.
Caroline M. Angel is a Masters prepared psychiatric mental health nurse who holds a Ph.D. in Nursing and
Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the Research Director for Team Red, White & Blue
and has led Team RWB’s Central New Jersey Chapter since 2014. Angel is currently a Visiting Scholar at the
University of Cambridge. Her research has focused on posttraumatic stress, resilience, shame, forgiveness,
health, and mortality. She has longitudinally followed a series of randomized controlled trials and was in a
research or teaching role at the University of Pennsylvania between 1999 and 2014.
NICHOLAS J. ARMSTRONG, PH.D.
Nick Armstrong is the Senior Director for Research and Policy at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families
(IVMF) at Syracuse University where he leads the IVMF’s growing portfolio of applied research, policy analysis,
and program evaluation efforts. Armstrong is also an affiliated adjunct faculty member in Public Administration
and International Affairs at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. Armstrong was previously a research fellow at
the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT) for six years where he led government and privately
sponsored security projects. Prior to this, Armstrong served for eight years in the U.S. Army with tours in Iraq (2005-
2006), Afghanistan (2003-2004), and Bosnia (2001) with the 10th Mountain Division. Armstrong is a graduate
of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at
Syracuse University (Ph.D., M.P.A.).
Contributors
MICHAEL ERWIN
Mike Erwin is the Chairman of the Board and Founder of Team RWB; President of the Positivity Project
(a non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen leadership and relationships through a deeper
understanding of character); and a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. For the past year, Mike has served as the
CEO of Susan Cain’s Quiet Leadership Institute. He is the co-author of a forthcoming book from Bloomsbury
Press, Solitude, Leadership, and Character. Mike graduated from the United States Military Academy at West
Point in 2002. He was commissioned as an intelligence officer, serving in three combat tours with the First
Cavalry Division and 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). His service includes deployments to Operation Iraqi
Freedom in 2004-2005, Kandahar, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006-2007
and 2009. Mike currently lives in Pinehurst, NC, with his wife and four children.
LOU NEMEC
Lou Nemec is an active duty Soldier stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. He became a volunteer leader with
Team RWB in the spring of 2012 while teaching at West Point with Mike Erwin. At West Point, Lou taught Intro to
Psychology and Antrhopometrics/Biomechanics. He has been an integral part of welcoming all new members that
join Team RWB and is passionate about Team RWB research and Veteran research as a whole. Lou’s research
interests include wellness, resilience, human performance, and the broad field of positive psychology. Lou and his
wife Lindsay have three boys that they raise in the spirit of ‘other people matter’. They enjoy running together when
possible and have had the pleasure of engaging Team RWB members at events all across the country.
CAROLYN WESTLAKE
Carolyn Westlake is currently obtaining a Master’s degree in Healthcare Data Analytics from Clarkson University.
Prior to Clarkson, Carolyn earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Guilford College and a Masters in
Biomechanics from the University of Tennessee.
LAURA WERBER
Laura Werber serves in two volunteer roles for Team RWB: she has been the Athletic Director for its Los Angeles
chapter since May 2013 and joined the organization’s Board of Directors in January 2015. She is a Senior Manage-
ment Scientist at the RAND Corporation, a non-partisan, nonprofit research institution, and also a Professor at
the Pardee RAND Graduate School. At RAND, she applies organizational theories and methods to a wide array of
policy issues, including community partnerships, Department of Defense workforce management, military families,
and veteran reintegration. Laura is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania and
earned a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Stanford University.

A Case Illustration of
Team Red, White & Blue
February 2016
Caroline Angel, Ph.D., R.N.
Nicholas J. Armstrong, Ph.D.
THROUGH AN EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH
ENRICHING
VETERANS’ LIVES

Overview
This paper marks the launch of a new IVMF series focused on the critical topics of program evaluation,
performance measurement, and evidence-based practice (EBP). The purpose of the series is to inform the broader
community of veteran and military family serving organizations by highlighting examples of veteran and military
serving organizations employing various methods of EBP, program evaluation, and assessment. By highlighting
leading practices across the U.S., this series aims to promote learning and greater impact in service delivery across
our nation’s evolving and maturing community of veteran and military organizations.
This case illustration highlights the evaluation efforts of the rising veteran and military serving organization Team,
Red, White & Blue (Team RWB). Team RWB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 with the mission
of enriching the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their communities through physical and social
activity. Despite its relative youth, in 2014, the George W. Bush Institute’s (GWBI) Military Service Initiative and
the IVMF both identified Team RWB as a leading organization in building a robust measurement and evaluation
program. The paper highlights how Team RWB integrates theory and research to drive its programming as an
evidence-based wellness intervention and, in turn, produce data to inform its own organizational practice.
Key Highlights
• Team RWB is an organization that values, at all levels, trust and transparency with its partners, funders, and
community. This culture—embodied by the ‘Eagle Ethos’ of positivity, passion, people, community, camaraderie,
and commitment—exists throughout the organization from the senior executive down to the community level.
• Research and evaluation of RWB’s programs is and will remain vital to communicating its impact and improving
how it targets resources to improve and grow its programs. The Team RWB “Eagle Research Center” is building
an evidence base by quantitatively measuring its outcomes and using data to improve its program delivery.
• More than 1,800 veterans surveyed in 2014 and 2,500 surveyed in 2015 self-reported increases in creating
authentic relationships with others, increasing their sense of purpose, and improving their health, by participating
in Team RWB. Veterans also noted that participating in Team RWB had indirect benefits in their family
relationships and work. Improvements on these dimensions contribute to an enriched life, with more program
engagement leading to more enrichment.
• Team RWB achieves these results through local, consistent, and inclusive programs. The chapter and
community programs provide opportunities for physical, social, and service activities. The Leadership
Development Program is comprised of national athletic and leadership camps, and a newly launched tiered
leader development program.
iii

Executive Summary..............................................................................................................ii
Introduction............................................................................................................................. 3
The Founding Story of Team Red, White & Blue............................................. 4
The Origins ....................................................................................................................................4
Early Reflection, Learning, and Evolution ..................................................................................4
Not ‘Just Another Running Group’—
Advancing Understanding of RWB’s Purpose ............................................................................6
Operational Model .......................................................................................................................7
Chapters and Communities .................................................................................................7
Veteran Athletic and Leadership Camps ........................................................................8
Leadership Development Program.................................................................................8
Signature Events and Collaborative Activities ................................................................9
Team Emblem and Gear as Symbol of Unity ..................................................................9
The Importance of Civilian Membership.........................................................................9
Team RWB as an Evidence-Based Wellness Intervention ..................... 10
Striving for Outcomes via the Team RWB Annual Member Survey
Team RWB Builds Authentic Connections ........................................................................11
Team RWB Increases Sense of Purpose through
Civic Engagement Opportunities .......................................................................................14
Team RWB Promotes Wellness through Physical Activity................................................17
Team RWB Builds Civilian-Military Solidarity ....................................................................18
Team RWB Indirectly Improves Veterans’
Family Lives and Employment Outcomes .........................................................................18
Discussion and Implications ............................................................................... 18
Conclusion................................................................................................................21
References.............................................................................................................................22
Appendix.................................................................................................................................24
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Today the nationwide community of veteran and military serving organizations faces an inflection point.
Barring widespread outpouring of public support for the military over the past 15 years, the financial
side of the “sea of goodwill” (R. Cohen, 2013; Copeland & Sutherland, 2010) seems more like a slowly
ebbing tide. Given a closer look, the proceeds toward veteran and military-specific organizations remain
flat since 2001 (P. Carter & Kidder, 2015a, p. 15). In fact, compared to a steadily growing nonprofit
sector overall, veteran and military serving organizations now capture a lesser, and declining, share of
total philanthropic support than they enjoyed in the months following 9/11. This trend suggest signs of
consolidation, even in the midst of soaring, albeit uncertain, federal spending on military personnel and
veterans programs (pp. 12-13).
Yet, given higher injury survival rates and the degree of veterans’ resulting physical and mental health
needs, the costs of care for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will “easily surpass $1 trillion in the coming
decades” (Bilmes, 2016, p. 14). Veterans’ needs, however, ostensibly occur in clusters (P. Carter & Kidder,
2015b; Castro, Kintzle, & Hassan, 2014; Schell & Tanielian, 2011; Zoli, Maury, & Fay, 2015), such as,
the concurrent need for housing, a job, and legal or financial assistance. And for the local organizations
who serve veterans daily, competition for increasingly scarce resources is very real. As a result, veteran
and military serving organizations, most of which are small in size and revenue, confront a likely future of
learning to do more with less. Donors, too, are sharpening their focus on the impacts of their investments
by demanding grantees measure outcomes and, in some communities, employ evidence-based practices,
or measure the combined, or collective, impact of multiple organizations working together (Armstrong,
McDonough, & Savage, 2015).
The implications are clear. Organizations that clearly demonstrate their outcomes will not only remain
attractive to current and future donors, but also position themselves to best serve veterans’ needs.
Evidenced-based practice (EBP), as adapted from the field of medicine, applies the best available
research, provider expertise, and clients’ values and circumstances to deliver high-quality programs and
services (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, & Richardson, 1996). EBP is essential to gauge program
effectiveness, establish leading practices and benchmarks, garner insight for learning and innovation,
and provide transparent reporting to key stakeholders (i.e., funders, partners, and clients). EBP is also a
core component of ethical practice (A. Taylor, Harold, & Berger, 2013) and a clear sign of organizational
maturity, especially for organizations that seek evidence and impact measures beyond their funders’
minimum requirements (GWBI & IVMF, 2015).
THE IVMF MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION SERIES
Given the current environment, this paper marks the launch of a new IVMF series focused on
the critical topics of program evaluation, performance measurement, and evidence-based practice.
The purpose of the series is to inform the broader community of veteran and military family serving
organizations by highlighting examples of veteran and military serving organizations employing various
methods of EBP, program evaluation, and assessment. In addition, the series will also include briefs and
tools to inform both providers and donors on leading practices, methods, and noteworthy developments
in EBP across the veteran and military community. By highlighting leading practices across the U.S., this
series aims to promote learning and greater impact in service delivery across our nation’s evolving and
maturing community of veteran and military organizations.
3

ENRICHING VETERANS’ LIVES THROUGH AN EVIDENCE BASED APPROACH4
TEAM RED, WHITE & BLUE: A LEADING EXAMPLE IN DEVELOPING
AN EVIDENCE-BASE
This first paper is a case illustration of the rising veteran and
military serving organization Team, Red, White & Blue (Team
RWB). Team RWB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded
in 2010 with the mission of enriching the lives of America’s
veterans by connecting them to their communities through
physical and social activity. Despite its relative youth, in 2014,
the George W. Bush Institute’s (GWBI) Military Service Initiative
and the IVMF identified Team RWB as a leading organization in
building a robust measurement and evaluation program (2015,
pp. 24-25). To follow from this prior research, this paper reveals
how Team RWB integrates theory and research to produce data
that informs its own organizational practice.
The paper is organized into three sections. First, we provide
a background of Team RWB’s founding story and evolution
to its current operational model. The story is important to
highlight, not only for background, but to explain how the Team
evolved—though trial and error, learning, and reflection—to
develop a clear mission and ‘theory of change’. Second, we
present the underlying psychological, biological, and social
theories that support Team RWB as an evidence-based,
community health intervention. Finally, we outline recent
findings from member surveys to demonstrate Team RWB’s
programmatic outcomes on participating veterans’ enrichment
and discuss broader implications for practice and policy.
The Founding Story of Team Red,
White & Blue
This section highlights Team RWB’s founding story and serves
two purposes. First, it offers insights into how and why the
organization emerged, how it’s organized, and the range of
activities and programming it delivers nationwide. Second,
and more importantly, it reveals how Team RWB has evolved
to develop a clearly defined mission and a “theory of change”
(Poister, 2003, pp. 35-38) for how its various activities
and programs produce positive outcomes for veterans and
communities.
THE ORIGINS
Former U.S. Army Major Mike Erwin founded Team RWB in
July 2010 while attending graduate school at the University of
Michigan, studying positive psychology under the field’s co-
founder, the late Dr. Chris Peterson. With roughly 200,000 service
members transitioning out of the military each year (VA, 2007,
2014) and roughly two in five departing for communities other
than their former hometowns (DMDC, 2015), Erwin observed that
many veterans, particularly wounded warriors, desired support in
building connections within their new communities. Erwin, having
realized an apparent gap in services, embarked on creating an
organization that provided a consistent and inclusive support
structure for veterans, embedded within local communities, and
centered on physical and social activity. The organization would
be appropriately named Team Red, White & Blue—or better known
as Team RWB.
Team RWB has evolved and matured considerably in short
time from its genesis in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The organization
initially launched as a one-on-one, veteran and advocate
relationship program designed to help struggling veterans in
communities. Physical fitness was viewed as the core element
within a broader model to raise public awareness, sponsorship,
and fundraising to support the initial mentorship program’s
delivery. Team RWB concentrated its efforts on participation
and promotion in endurance events (e.g., marathons,
triathlons, etc.), to grow a national network of leaders and
advocates through which to build one-on-one relationship with
veterans in communities.
To raise awareness, RWB recruited athlete-fundraisers
to compete in endurance races. To promote a supportive
community, RWB created local networks of advocates to
concentrate their efforts and connect wounded veteran families
to donors, athlete-fundraisers, and supporters. The one-on-one
relationships were essential—they linked veterans and their
families to other local community members and veterans able to
provide tailored support.
EARLY LEARNING, REFLECTION, AND EVOLUTION
Despite the best intentions of many, however, this initial
push led to inconsistent support to veterans and misplaced
sponsorship over partnership. This early learning experience
shifted Erwin’s and Team RWB’s mission focus to providing
consistency of social interaction for veterans by growing a social
leadership-based community.
Still, as with many young start-ups, Team RWB evolved with
time and sharpened its focus through reflection and learning
from its members and advisors. In the summer of 2011, Dr.
Brené Brown visited West Point where Erwin was teaching at the
time. Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston’s
Graduate College of Social Work, remains a respected and
sought out expert on vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and
shame. From her visit and continued dialogue with Erwin on
the indiscriminant nature of pain and suffering emerged the
realization and potential value of Team RWB as a resource, not
specifically for visibly wounded veterans, but for all veterans
reintegrating back into society.
In addition, later that fall, veterans who had joined Team
RWB were attesting to the benefits that physical activity played
in their reintegration and, for some, recovery process. Team RWB
leadership also recognized the opportunity to expand outreach
through greater inclusion and decided to build a team that would

A CASE ILLUSTRATION OF TEAM RED, WHITE & BLUE 5
allow its members to open up or reach out for support on their
own as they achieved a level of comfort with others.
In May 2012, a leading consulting firm conducted a strategic
planning assessment of Team RWB. The firm interviewed members
from five of its existing chapters at the time (Washington, D.C., Ann
Arbor, Syracuse, Houston, and Chicago). A strong theme emerged.
Local leaders and members held the firm and consistent belief
that relationships—between team and community members—were
the core of Team RWB’s purpose and long-term impact. While this
was not explicit within Team RWB’s mission statement at the time,
the strategic assessment clearly revealed that building quality
relationships captured how the organization was enriching the lives
of America’s veterans and their families.
Erwin’s leadership team grew following the strategic review
in October 2012, starting first with the hire of Blayne Smith as
the Director of Operations. By January 2013, Erwin stepped
down as Executive Director as he was still serving on active duty
and sought to charge one leader with full-time responsibility
to implement the new strategic vision and manage the
organization’s rapid growth in membership. Consequently, he
hired a new Director of Operations, J.J. Pinter, and appointed
Smith to Executive Director.
Team RWB’s new strategy included several changes to
the population it served. Team RWB leadership realized that
the majority of members were joining as volunteer advocates
rather than self-identifying as wounded veterans (regardless
of their disability status). They also found those volunteer
advocates were reporting a renewed sense of unity and
purpose through their participation. Team RWB leadership
sought to instill a greater sense of camaraderie, identity, and
purpose through regular physical activities and social events
that would drive veterans to connect to a chapter within their
communities.
In all, the insights gained in the early years allowed Team
RWB to evolve into a more inclusive organization that serves
all veterans, active duty military, military families, and civilians.
Team RWB’s inclusion of civilian members (and leadership)
distinguishes it from most veteran organizations. Simply put,
being more inclusive to those without prior military service puts
veterans at a greater advantage than if the Team was exclusive
to veterans only. In theory, these expanded social connections—
beginning as “weak ties” (Granovetter, 1973) and transforming
over time into powerful forms of social capital (Coleman, 1988)—
ideally provide veterans greater access to local resources,
knowledge, and opportunities (e.g., schools, jobs, services) in
their new communities.
Civilian team members benefit too. RWB provides an outlet
for local citizens seeking opportunities to meet, demonstrate
their support for, and build authentic relationships with veterans
in their community through genuine interaction. Although Team
RWB’s principal goal is to enrich veterans’ lives, broad inclusion
also facilitates communication across the often-cited ‘civilian-
military divide’ and promotes greater societal understanding of
military service.

NOT JUST ANOTHER RUNNING GROUP—ADVANCING
UNDERSTANDING OF TEAM RWB’S “THEORY OF CHANGE”
By 2013, Team RWB saw an explosion in new membership.
But with this rapid growth, arose a perception that the group
was just a physical fitness group for veterans who mostly run
or do CrossFit workouts together. While running and functional
fitness are two popular activities for some, this perception
misses Team RWB’s true purpose and intent—its raison d’être—
and captures, at best, a surface-level understanding of its
founding vision. Team RWB’s activities, in fact, go well beyond
physical fitness for fitness’s sake. But as many RWB leaders
attest, communicating the organization’s broader theory of
change has been and remains a high priority.
Ultimately, Team RWB was founded on the simple, yet
significant, truth that “other people matter” (Peterson, 2008).
More than any other factor, strong ties to individuals and a
larger social network are the key ingredients to living a happier
and more fulfilled life (Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008; Diener &
Seligman, 2002; Valliant, 2012). And connectedness to others,
that is, secure attachments and social support (Pietrzak &
Cook, 2013) is a major protective factor against developing
physical and behavioral health problems, including early death
(Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2014; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton,
2010). The transition from active military service to civilian life
marks a significant disruption in a veteran’s sense of social
connectedness. Accordingly, RWB’s mission to enrich veterans’
lives by developing authentic connections through physical and
social activity translates decades of multidisciplinary research,
spanning the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and sociology,
into best practice. We discuss this firm grounding in research in
greater depth later in the paper.
Through much internal discussion, Team RWB’s leadership team
has developed a well-formulated outcome concept of ‘enrichment,’
defined as creating quality relationships and experiences that
contribute to life satisfaction and overall wellbeing. Consistent
with Berglass and Harrell’s (2012) veteran wellness model, the
concept of enrichment consists of three core components—people,
health, and purpose—that define a rich life (Smith, 2016). True to
its roots, Team RWB’s focus on ‘People’ relies on creating authentic
connections (defined as genuine, quality, supportive relationships
that generate mutual trust and accountability), reflected in an
increased number of close relationships and improvements
in teammates’ sense of belonging, purpose, and community
engagement. Team RWB’s ‘Health’ focus creates frequent
opportunities for team members to connect through fitness,
sports, and recreation to improve physical, mental, and emotional
TEAM RWB EVENTS
Social events
Local races and
athletic events
Community
service events Other events
Local, consistent
exercise events
CIVILIAN VETERAN
EVENT ATTENDANCE
Figure 1. Team RWB Events and Attendance (2015)

wellbeing. Team RWB also enhances members’ ‘Purpose’ by
engaging them in meaningful team and community-based
experiences such as leadership and service that, beyond physical
and social activities, renew self-identity and purpose in life.
OPERATIONAL MODEL
Team RWB’s operational model focuses on delivering local,
consistent, and inclusive activities designed to build a community-
of-communities. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Team RWB is a
registered nonprofit organization staffed primarily by volunteers. As
of early 2016, the organization has only seventeen full-time paid
employees dispersed nationwide across six regions: Northeast,
Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Pacific, and South Central. The
organization continues to grow since its official launch in 2012
and has reached new heights with 172 chapters and communities
worldwide, covering five countries (United States, Italy, England,
Korea and Japan) and territories (Guam) and registering
approximately 500 to 700 new members per week.
The operating model is guided by a unique set of fundamental
beliefs and ideals referred to as the Eagle Ethos and embodied
in the following: passion, people, positivity, commitment,
camaraderie, and community. Operating from these principles
and the overarching mission to connect veterans to their
community, a Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and Executive
Staff provide national guidance, resources, and oversight for all
of Team RWB’s programs. Given the focus on community, the
majority of programming occurs at the local level.
Chapters and Communities
Local Chapters and Communities are charged with delivering
consistent, local opportunities for team members to connect
through physical and social activity. These typically include
weekly fitness activities, monthly social and service events,
and participation in local races. Figure 1 reports the number of
physical, social, and service activities reported in the monthly
chapter reports between January and December 2015 by 181
Chapters. Overall, the majority of activities occur as regular
weekly scheduled physical events, followed by athletic, social,
and service events, respectively. Veteran engagement on an
individual level is targeted at veterans seeking individualized
support from team leaders or other members or outreach
conducted by RWB members with veteran non-members in an
effort to support a veteran where he or she is at, regardless
of whether he or she has joined the team. Figure 2 also
illustrates the member participation in various events, broken
down by veteran, civilian, and guard, reservists, and active
duty personnel (GRADS) self-reported in the 2015 Team RWB
member survey.
The Veteran Ambassador Program is also a valued
component of Team RWB’s Chapter and Communities, as it
serves team members who do not have a local chapter in
their neighborhood but still want to be informed. The program
welcomes new team members and ensures them regular
updates, information, and resources to stay connected. This
inclusive program allows the veteran, anywhere in the world, to
become a member of this organization.
Chapter and community level leaders are predominantly
volunteers. The only exception to this model occurs where paid
national or regional leadership members reside, as they are
expected to play a dual role. The Chapter Captain is entrusted
with the overall responsibility of the chapter’s conduct and
mission accomplishment, the recruitment and management
of other leaders, controlling chapter expenditures, assisting
the Outreach Director in networking and establishing key
relationships, and maintaining consistent communication
with national headquarters. The Veteran Outreach Director is
responsible for increasing veteran enrollment and involvement
in the chapter, establishing relationships with veteran
referral sources, and collecting data to measure impact. The
Community Outreach Director drives community membership
and participation, develops relationships with local businesses
and organizations, managing the chapter’s social media,
assists the Veteran Outreach director in promoting the chapter,
and facilitating chapter communications. The Athletic Director
maintains in contact with all athletes in the chapter, plans
and executes weekly fitness activities, coordinates chapter
participation in local events, communicates with local race or
event directors, and assists Social Director to develop events.
Lastly, the Social Director is responsible for the coordination of
social activities, assisting the Community Outreach Director in
building partnerships within the local community and creating
cost-effective opportunities, creating synergy between physical
and social activity, and mobilizing the team members to be
actively involved.

Veteran Athletic and Leadership Camps
In addition to the Chapter and Community Program, there are
several Veteran Athletic and Leadership Camps held in the
national and regional levels. Open to all members to apply,
the athletic camps allow Team RWB members the opportunity
to engage in a new sport or activity that they could bring back
to their local chapter in a leadership capacity or as a highly
active community member. Each camp is held in communities
across the country and coached by world-class athletes and
renowned experts. Participants leave each camp having learned
a new skill and gained camaraderie with other team members.
These camps are utilized to promote a healthy lifestyle, improve
athletic performance, encourage team building, and hone on
their leadership skills. It has become a critical component to
the construct of the organization. The athletic camps, which
have grown in number every year, have included a: Trail Running
Camp, Functional Fitness Camp, Triathlon Camp, Rock Climbing
Camp, Veterans Yoga Camp, and a Waves of Valor Surf Camp.
In 2014, the Team RWB Veteran Athletic Camp Program
expanded from six to nine camps, with nearly 300 Eagles in
attendance. Implemented changes included an application
process, conducting leadership development at all the
camps, and improving follow up measures on post-camp
impact. Specifically, the leadership development workshop
would be facilitated by Team RWB’s executive staff
(Executive Director, Director of Operations, or the Leadership
Development Director).
A new model for the 2015 camp program has been
implemented, which categorizes the camps into either National
or Regional Camps. The National Camps are held throughout the
country with attendees from Chapters and Communities across
the country. In addition, each region is allotted a small number
of slots per National Camp. Similar to National Camps, Regional
Camps follow the same model, but have fewer attendees whom
come from the region hosting the camp. Per guidance, each
Team RWB region would host between one and two Regional
Camps with approximately 20 attendees each year. Overall,
the Veteran Athletic and Leadership camps are viewed as an
investment in the members and the organization as a whole.
Leadership Development Program
Another component to the Team RWB operating model is its
Leadership Development Program (LDP). The LDP’s three
primary goals are to: make members better leaders, improve
Team RWB as an organization, and strengthen communities.
This multi-tiered program allows select team members
broad access to the program and a vigorous development
experience, consisting of superior education and training,
resilient mentorships, and tools to take away from the internal
and external leadership experiences. Team RWB recognizes
the importance of leadership and role models as important
elements to any organization, therefore, Team RWB has
developed camps, both at the National and Regional level, to
train new leaders. The goal is directed on the hope that after
attendance at one of the leadership camps, the attendee will
return to their chapter and community to share and implement
the leadership skills and knowledge gained. The course
components include access to personality profiles, strength
and weakness assessments, and individualized mentorships
that promote growth. Designed to mentor potential leaders, the
program prepares an individual to fulfill a leadership role in a
local community organization upon completion.
Applied to ELDP
Attended RWB Camp
Leadership Position
Led Events
Weekly Events
Volunteer Events
Social Events
Athletic Events
Facebook Group
Wear the Eagle shirt
DEGREEOFPARTICIPATION
1%
4%
9%
13%
25%
27%
36%
51%
69%
79%
Figure 2. Team RWB Member Participation (2015)
In what ways do you participate
as a Team RWB member?

Signature Events and Collaborative Activities
Team RWB also focuses its efforts on collaboration with
outside organizations and participation in events and annual
races. For example, the Old Glory Relay presented by Microsoft
is an annual relay race in which thousands of veterans, family
members, and community supporters carry one American flag
on an Olympic torch-style relay across America. Participants
collectively traverse more than 3,500 miles while communities
and veteran-serving nonprofits organize celebrations and offer
support along the way. Team RWB has also partnered with
Team Rubicon and The Mission Continues for the annual Run
as One, which honors the life of Marine veteran, Clay Hunt, an
original member of Team Rubicon that committed suicide after
battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. This
event serves to both ignite awareness and promote suicide
prevention for combat-stressed military men and women, and
to celebrate the collective impact, partnership, and leadership
across the veterans support spectrum. Another key event is
the “WOD with Warriors,” which involves two custom workouts
of the day (WODs) on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. These
functional fitness workouts are hosted in over 300 community
locations (gyms, CrossFit boxes, parks) and connect thousands
of Americans to veterans in a meaningful way. Other events
include the Warrior Sporting Clays Tournament, hosted by
Conoco Phillips in Houston, the American Odyssey Relay,
various Ragnar Relay races, top-ranked Trail Running Camp
(delivered by Liza Howard and other champions of the ultra and
trail running world), Triathlon Camp, the Army Ten-Miler, and
the Marine Corps Marathon.
Team Emblem and Gear as Symbol of Unity
Team RWB has made effective use of its logo—the Eagle—and
branding materials as tools to build both camaraderie and
national awareness. Team RWB has an online store with
Nike brand Team RWB eagle-emblazoned athletic gear and
products, from shirts, socks, hats, to stickers, car decals, and
custom triathlon suits. The recognizable logo on the red t-shirts
worn by its members is a display of pride in the organization,
their community, and what makes this nation great. Every new
veteran Team RWB member receives a free red t-shirt upon
joining the team to wear at weekly events. With such distinct,
patriotic gear, local groups are often easily spotted in public
while exercising and, as an organizational tradition, often
carry an American flag to build awareness and a greater sense
of community. The iconic red Team RWB shirt also provides
veterans with a regained sense of identity. Similar to wearing
their uniforms in service, upon joining the Eagle Nation, the
veteran is once again given their ‘uniform’ to stress that they
are still an important member of the team.
The Importance of Civilian Membership
Team RWB recognizes the critical importance for civilian
membership within each community to assist each veteran’s
reintegration and provide a network of support. Over time,
Team RWB has observed that both veterans and civilians
have been significantly impacted by their participation with
the organization with a greater sense of unity and purpose. To
be fully reintegrated, veterans must regain a level of comfort
within, and with individuals, in their community—not simply with
other veterans and military family members. Having a strong
and supportive community that can provide broad assistance
in the transition process is key, especially for returning combat
veterans that may be managing a mental health condition,
anxiety, or depression. Studies have found that exercise and
physical activity can be a natural equivalent for treatment of
some conditions. By encouraging more civilian participation,
Team RWB promotes active involvement in another’s recovery
and a diverse community standing by to enrich the lives of
veterans in the communities in which they reside. Civilian
membership is essential for the veteran to feel a sense of
connectedness and purpose, a fundamental drive in humanity.

Team RWB as an Evidence-Based
Wellness Intervention
Building authentic individual connections through physical and
social activity translates decades of multidisciplinary research,
spanning the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and sociology,
into leading practice. Team RWB roots lie in positive psychology,
a field dedicated to the scientific study of “what goes right in life”
(Peterson, 2012) and was founded on the simple, yet significant
truth that “other people matter” (Peterson, 2008). Restated
from above, strong ties to individuals and a larger social network
are the key ingredients to living a happier and more fulfilled life
(Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008; Diener & Seligman, 2002; Valliant,
2012). And connectedness to others (Pietrzak & Cook, 2013)
is a major protective factor against developing physical and
behavioral health problems, including early death (Cacioppo &
Cacioppo, 2014; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).
As a positive psychology intervention, Team RWB assists
veterans seeking connection to develop authentic relationships
through physical and social activity. It is through such new or
strengthened social relationships that Team RWB supports better
mental health by mitigating against challenges resulting from a
lack of connection (such as depression and suicide) and facilitating
newly transitioned veterans into socially supportive communities to
prevent social isolation (Rook, 1984). This emphasis is particularly
important given the large effects that social support has on
immune function and chronic disease prevention.
More than two decades of research has revealed a high
correlation between health outcomes and “social determinants”
(WHO, 2015) of health and wellness—e.g., employment,
education, housing, social cohesion, crime, and the environment
(Bartley & Plewis, 2002; Berkman & Syme, 1979; Kawachi &
Berkman, 2003; Marmot & Wilkinson, 2006; Moser, Fox, &
Jones, 1984; Stansfeld & Marmot, 2002). Communities that
“enable citizens to play a full and useful role in the social,
economic, and cultural life of their society will be healthier than
those where people face insecurity, exclusion, and deprivation”
(Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003, p. 11; Wizemann & Thompson,
2014). Yet, in a 2011 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey
of 1,000 primary care physicians, 85 percent of doctors
agreed that their patients’ unmet social needs are leading to
worse health, while four in five doubted their ability to meet
their patients’ social needs (RWJF, 2011). Accordingly, Team
RWB is an organization with the express purpose to build
relationships and community, thereby addressing several “social
determinants” of health and wellness for veterans.
RWB’s focus areas mutually reinforce greater wellness.
First, RWB’s focus on social activity, especially on volunteering,
provides an opportunity for veterans to participate in
meaningful interactions with others and continue to serve
their communities. Research has confirmed that veterans, as
a whole, are more civically engaged than their civilian peers
and Team RWB provides such opportunities (Mettler, 2002;
Tivald & Kawashima-Ginsberg, 2015). Second, RWB’s focus
on physical activity draws on the clearly established health
benefits of exercise. Finally, by connecting veterans to their
community—with an express emphasis on civilian inclusion—
RWB offers the opportunity to strengthen civil-military
ties and foster a greater sense of understanding between
veterans and an American public with diminishing family ties
to the military. A century of sociological research suggests
that groups of individuals who regularly engage in positive,
shared experiences and emotions will develop trust and build
solidarity—a sense of belonging—among the group (Collins,
2004; Durkheim, 1912; Goffman, 1969).
STRIVING FOR OUTCOMES VIA THE TEAM RWB ANNUAL
MEMBER SURVEY
In 2013, Team RWB established a core volunteer research
team to measure, analyze, and communicate its programmatic
outcomes on veterans and American communities. The Eagle
Research Center proactively measures the organization’s
outputs and outcomes1
to improve the quality of members’
experience with its programs and to continuously inform and
refine its programming at the community level. Part of its
success thus far is having a clearly defined mission statement
and a solid theoretical grounding, detailed above, to inform its
data collection efforts.
As an evidence based organization, RWB aims to measure
and communicate its programmatic impacts on participating
veterans’ enrichment. Program evaluation as a field is focused
on the design of social programs, the ongoing monitoring of
program functioning, and the assessment of program impact
with the overall goal of providing the most accurate information
to the public and stakeholders. Successful evaluation research
therefore provides the best information possible on the key
questions given the practical constraints and real world design
challenges (Berk & Rossi, 1999).
The cost of feasibility, however, is validity, which is the level
of confidence that researchers have in attributing outcomes
of the program under study to program participation and not
alternative factors. To that extent, the research conducted
by RWB has methodological limitations inherent of non-
randomized research designs. The primary methodological
limitation being is that there is no comparison group of
veterans who have not signed up to participate in Team RWB
upon which to contrast outcomes. This limitation introduces
the possibility of biased estimates of program effects. However,
1
Output measures include indicators such as the number of activates conducted, number of people attending events, and the number of veterans who engage with their
programming, while outcome measures include items such as personal enrichment, life satisfaction, wellbeing, and leader development, among others.

even what would be considered weak methodological design
can be of enormous practical success if very little is known
about the effectiveness of a program (Berk & Rossi, 1999).
The data reported here is based on two studies conducted
in 2014 and 2015 demonstrating the impact Team RWB is
having on veterans, civilians, and active duty military members
(see methodology specified in Appendix A). We limit our current
report to self-identified veteran Team RWB members, surveying
over 1,800 veterans in 2014 and 2,500 in 2015. Since our
analyses consistently establish a relationship2
between
program participation levels and enrichment, we included
information on how “frequently to very active” members
differ in enrichment from those who report less frequent
engagement with their chapters and programs.
Team RWB Builds Authentic Connections
Team RWB’s primary focus is to build authentic connections
between people and communities. Having a “sense of
belonging,” that is, “the experience of personal involvement
in a system so that persons feel themselves to be an integral
part of it” (Hagerty, Lynch-Sauer, Patusky, Bouwsema, &
Collier, 1992, p. 73) is a fundamental human need. A sense
of belonging is characterized by feeling valued, needed
or accepted, and sharing values or purpose. It is created
through frequent, positive, and enduring interactions with
other people (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Loneliness or
disconnection, in both an emotional sense (lack of close
emotional attachment) and a social sense (minimal social
contacts or network) affects an estimated 40 percent of all
Americans (Bernstein, 2013; Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008).
Veterans are susceptible to disconnection as part of a
challenging reintegration process. This may be compounded
by a reluctance to appear vulnerable or share feelings.
Veterans transitioning to civilian life may feel they are
“coming from a different world,” that those “who haven’t
been there” “can’t understand” and that “there are no
words” to describe the experiences of those who have been
to war (Stein & Tuval-Mashiach, 2015). These views may
lead to feelings of isolation and estrangement, despite being
surrounded by loving and well-meaning friends and family
(Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008).
Brown’s (2010) decade-plus work on vulnerability, shame,
courage, and worthiness reiterates how the unspeakable
emotion of shame, characterized by stories hidden in “secrecy,
silence, and judgment,” perpetuates long term psychological
harm. People tend to engage in comparative suffering—
downplaying their own suffering and their deservedness of
compassion or empathy compared to those they perceive to
be worse off (2010). Such sentiments are particularly true for
service members and veterans who are coming from a pervasive
military culture of mental strength. The most salient takeaway
from Brown’s research is that shame cannot survive the
empathy of being spoken to by a trusted friend.
Building authentic connections, even new friendships, between
veterans, civilians, and their larger community is the cornerstone
of Team RWB, and the driving force in framing the organization as
a ‘Team.’ Executive Director Blayne Smith in his testimony before
the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on “Mental Health and
Suicide Among Veterans” explained the rationale for the team-
centered approach:
“Shared accomplishment, accountability, and even shared
hardship are powerful drivers of connection and friendship.
This team concept is very attractive to veterans because (unlike
therapy) on a team, everybody contributes and everybody
benefits. Team RWB members will generally tell you that they
are participating in order to support their fellow veteran, and
that is just fine. We do not require them to identify themselves
as in-need or wounded or broken. At Team RWB, we don’t rank-
order suffering or injury. Put more positively, we don’t rank-order
‘deserving.’ We simply provide veterans an opportunity to be part
of a new team, to engage in positive activities, and to support
their community.”
By focusing on an activity, and not on forced person-to-person
relationship building itself, satisfying personal relationships
develop as a byproduct of the shared experience (Pilisuk &
Minkler, 1980). ‘Best friend’ type relationships have been found
through research to be the most important to develop, but
diversity of relationships in a combination of strong and weak ties
provide the greatest benefit in protecting against disconnection
(de Jong Gierveld, Van Tilberg, & Dykstra, 2006). While major
RWB events can typically draw anywhere between two and 50
2
For all chi-squared statistics p values were less than or equal to 0.05.

or more ‘Eagles’ depending upon the nature of the event, its
organizational focus is on the regularly scheduled weekly events
held in chapters. Consistent, routine social engagement creates
opportunities for veterans to establish close interpersonal bonds
within the larger RWB community.
Relationship building is also key to increasing social support,
defined as a social network’s provision of resources intended
to provide instrumental support (i.e., material aid), information,
and emotional support to benefit an individual’s ability to cope
with stress (S. Cohen, 2004). Social support buffers against
the development of stress, which activates the human stress
response, resulting in the suppression of immune function
thereby increasing the susceptibility to infectious disease.
Social neuroscientists have also found that the hormone
oxytocin, known as the “bonding hormone,” which is released
during social situations, enhances social behaviors, which,
in combination with social interactions, can reduce cortisol
production (C. S. Carter, 1998; Southwick & Charney, 2012).
Lack of social support effects life expectancy comparable to
cigarette smoking, hypertension, obesity and lack of physical
activity (House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988).
Team RWB’s surveys have captured the impact of participation on
team members sense of belonging (2015 data) and social support
(2014 data). RWB has also determined ways in which members help
each other through socially supportive, altruistic behaviors3
including
veterans who haven’t joined the team (2015 data).
Veterans build authentic relationships through participating
in Team RWB. Veterans develop close friendships (34%) in
a larger network of individuals who feel like family to them
(40%). This increases their feeling valued by others (48%)
and increases their sense of belonging to a larger community
(64%). Half of RWB veterans report making lasting, positive
relationships, which increases to more than three out of
four veterans (86%) for those who are frequently to very
actively involved with the Team. Even veterans who describe
themselves as inactive or rarely active, experience personal
relationship growth.
Veterans also report increased social support since
joining the team in the form of access to information (72%),
emotional support (57%), and resources (64%) (2014 Impact
Survey). Veterans say that as a Team RWB member, they have
supported other veterans, even those not on the team (52%),
provided personal advice (37%) and career advice (25%) to their
teammates, including helping them to find jobs (11%). Those
who are frequently to very active are twice as likely to help their
teammates in this way.
70%
Make close, best-friend
type of relationships
Make relationships that
feel like family
Feel more valued
by others
Make lasting, positive
relationships
Increase my sense of belonging
to a larger community
90%
78%
86%
81%
13%
26%
34%
50%
64%
42%
15%
40%
22%
48%
All Veterans (n=2,967) Frequently/Very Active
Veterans (n=604)
Not at All/Rarely Active
(n=1,415)
Being a part of Team RWB
has caused me to...
Figure 3. Impact on Personal Relationships (2015)
3
Defined as “positive social acts carried out to produce and maintain the wellbeing and integrity of others” (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985; Shin & Johnson, 1978).

Team RWB Increases Sense of Purpose through Civic
Engagement Opportunities
The authentic relationships created by participating as an RWB
member extend to the local communities in which RWB chapters
operate through volunteering. RWB increases veterans’ sense
of purpose through creating volunteer leadership and service
opportunities. Volunteering also instills a sense of purpose and
meaning (Greenfield & Marks, 2004) in addition to belonging to
RWB itself.
RWB members serve communities by taking on leadership
roles within their Team RWB chapters and attending a leadership
development camp. Team RWB members also perform service
and provide support to other organizations and programs through
community engagement.
Based upon monthly report data submitted by Team RWB
Chapters, 1,200 individuals are volunteering in official RWB
leadership roles, resulting in 156,062 hours of Team RWB
service. From the 2015 survey, 13 percent said they have led
an event, four percent stated they have attended a team RWB
leadership camp, and one percent have applied to the Eagle
Leadership Development Program.
Sims (2014, p. 10) describes Team RWB’s powerful
community service impact, stating that RWB is “quickly
becoming recognized for providing ‘legions of volunteer
manpower, enthusiasm and creativity’ to community events.”
More than two-thirds (68%) of all veteran members have
observed that the Team RWB supports other organizations
through sharing resources or providing volunteers (2015 Team
RWB Impact Survey). Veterans report opportunities to serve
or volunteer (46%), lead (25%), and be more involved in their
community (40%). Volunteering further connects the individual
to their community, carries its own health benefits, and is known
to increase life satisfaction and physical and mental health
(Corporation for National and Community Service, 2007).
Based upon the monthly reports filed by Chapter Captains,
between January and December 2015, RWB Chapters have
participated in 1,789 community service events. Being part of
Team RWB increases veterans’ sense of purpose4
and has helped
veterans feel greater life satisfaction.5
Veterans involved with
Team RWB find more purpose in life (45%), create more meaning
(45%), and have a stronger sense of direction (41%).
4
Defined as having more “meaning and direction in life” (Ryff, 1989).
5
Defined as “a cognitive judgment process of an individual’s quality of life according to his or her own criteria” (Diener et al., 1985; Shin & Johnson, 1978).

(n=1,315)
78%
Veterans (n=629)
9%
16%
23%
61%
80%
25%
40%
46%
Led in my community
Been more involved in my
local community
Volunteered (or performed service)
in my community
As a member of Team
RWB, I have...
Figure 4. Impact on Member Community Engagement
24%
24%
26%
71%
77%
41%
45%
45%
48%
Have a stronger sense of
direction in my life
Create more meaning
in my life
Find more purpose
in my life
Feel more satisfied
with my life
(n=1,406)
78%
81%
26%
Veterans (n=644)
Figure 5. Impact on Member Sense of Purpose
has caused me to...
of frequently/very active Team RWB members affirm that Team RWB supports
other organizations through sharing resources or providing volunteers

Figure6. Impacton MemberWellbeing
Team RWB Promotes Wellness through Physical Activity
Routine physical activity (i.e., exercise) is an underutilized
evidence based approach recommended by the U.S. Surgeon
General to improve health (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 2010). RWB’s focus on physical activity rests
on the cumulative empirical evidence on the positive health
benefits of exercise. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
touts exercise as the “miracle cure” (Academy of Medical Royal
Colleges, 2015). Systematic reviews of the most scientifically
rigorous research have demonstrated that exercise reduces
anxiety and depression symptoms and coronary heart disease
(Asmundson et al., 2013; Heran et al., 2011; Jayakody,
Gunadasa, & Hosker, 2014; Mead et al., 2009; Shaw, Gennat,
O’Rourke, & Del Mar, 2006; Stathopoulou, Powers, Berry, Smits,
& Otto, 2006; R. S. Taylor et al., 2004).
RWB physical activities are conducted in small to large
groups as regular team training sessions or in a competitive
based environment focused on individual performance. The
evidence indicates that creating opportunities for face-to face
interactions focused on a specific physical activity supports
individuals’ efforts to become active and fit (Richards, Hillsdon,
Thorogood, & Foster, 2013). Beyond this ‘peer-accountability
effect’, team based exercise also promotes group unity and
cohesion among the group.
In 2015, RWB created 16,254 regularly scheduled exercise
events and participated in 5,563 races or athletic activities.
Team RWB members have stated that their physical and mental
health has improved since joining the Team. Health gains reflect
an improvement in overall wellbeing, defined as “a dynamic
and relative state where one maximizes his or her physical,
mental, and social functioning in the context of supportive
environments to live a full, satisfying, and productive life”
(Kobau, Sneizek, & Zack, 2009; Kobau, Sniezek, Zack, Lucas, &
Burns, 2010). Important improvements have been reported on
veterans’ wellbeing since joining Team RWB. Veterans report a
decline in tobacco usage (7%; 34% not applicable), a decline in
alcohol consumption (10%; 25% not applicable), and maintain
a healthier weight (39%). One out of three veterans reported
feeling less nervous, anxious or on edge (28%) and have felt
less down, depressed, or hopeless (32%). A majority of veterans
report exercising more frequently since joining the team (51%),
and 39% have maintained a healthier weight.
12%
6%
12%
14%
21%
31%
20%
50%
55%
64%
79%
7%
10%
28%
32%
39%
51%
5%
(n=1,254)
Veterans (n=615)
Decrease my
tobacco use
Decrease my
alcohol use
Feel less nervous,
anxious, or on edge
Feel less down,
depressed, or hopeless
Maintain a
healthier weight
Exercise more
frequentlyBeing a part of Team RWB
has caused me to...

Team RWB Builds Civilian-Military Solidarity
RWBs capacity to build authentic personal connections between
veterans and non-military connected civilians is theoretically
grounded in the scientific study of solidarity in society
(Durkheim, 1912). The cumulative insights of Goffman’s (1969)
“ritual interactions” and Collins’s (2004) “interaction ritual
chains” suggest how the RWB model of local, consistent, and
inclusive activity to foster authentic relationships is effective as
a social movement, even though it is focused on the individual.
Sociologists describe how face-to-face group interactions
among a group of bonded people around a shared activity create
strong—almost electric—positive emotion among participants.
Positive experiences reinforce the desire for more interaction,
creating a feedback loop. RWB’s primary focus to create as many
weekly opportunities to connect, especially in small groups (such
as two-to-ten individuals at a functional fitness workout), provides
an opportunity to regularly engage with members of the team.
High ‘emotional energy’ (often experienced as confidence and
enthusiasm) is sentimentalized by symbols of the group and shared
sense of trust. The regular face-to-face engagement carries over to
an online community via Facebook, which provide an opportunity for
continued engagement as well as information sharing for the next
scheduled event. Team RWB’s emblem of the Eagle communicates
team membership and commitment as does wearing RWB bracelets,
and carrying the American flag during athletic events.
Team RWB’s charge to connect veterans to their community
has become a social movement. Based upon a civilian survey
launched in December 2014, 75 percent of civilians joined Team
RWB to support veterans as they transition out of the military
into civilian life (n = 415). The data to this extent support this
theoretical basis. Team RWB organizes more weekly events than
any other type of activity. Typically, attendance is small at these
events since proximity is thought to be a key-contributing variable
to participation, yet small group environments allow for more
intimate engagement. Nearly two-thirds, (63%) of all veterans
participate in a Team RWB Facebook group, 80 percent wear the
Team RWB Eagle shirt, with 21 percent (58% among frequently to
very active veterans) reporting that they carried the American flag
at an event. Team sentiment is high among Team RWB veterans,
who take pride in their teammates accomplishments (66%) and
push themselves outside of their comfort zones to do something
for the benefit of the team (40%). Veterans have noticed that
when Team RWB members participate in an event, it inspires
national pride in their communities (71%).
Veterans report that participating in Team RWB is reducing the
civilian military divide. We define the civilian military divide as the
gap in knowledge and understanding of service members’ skills,
experiences, and values between civilians who have never served
in the military and active duty military members and veterans,
resulting in mutual feelings of disconnection and lack of trust.6
Veterans report that being part of Team RWB has given them an
opportunity to share their strengths (54%) and challenges (47%)
as a veteran with civilians, feel more connected to civilians (32%),
and have more trust in civilians (25%).
Team RWB Indirectly Improves Veterans’ Family Lives and
Employment Outcomes
The value of an enriched life resulting from participating as
an RWB team member can translate into profound spillover
effects on other areas of life. The positive interdependence
between different areas of life has been noted in which
satisfaction in one area of life has additive effects in other
areas, such as life satisfaction and perceived quality of
life. Psychologists have focused on “work-life enrichment,”
defined as “the extent to which experiences in one role
improves the quality of life in the other role” (Greenhaus &
Powell, 2006, p. 73). Based upon the volume of anecdotal
reports emerging from a 96,000-member organization, we
hypothesized that these changes were also happening as
a byproduct of authentic connections developed, increased
sense of wellbeing, and a greater sense of purpose felt by
team members indicated in the results of the 2014 Impact
survey. As part of our 2015 impact survey, we investigated
these outcomes as part of our membership assessment.
Veterans felt that being part of Team RWB helped them feel
more personally fulfilled (42%) and improved their mood (42%),
which resulted in them being a better family member. They also
reported improved relationships with family and friends (36%).
Veterans reported increased work satisfaction (20%) (a
strong positive predictor of employee retention) as a result of
enrichment experienced by being a member of Team RWB, as
well as increased productivity (21%), engagement (21%), and
reduced stress (24%). Team members were able to build a
better network of contacts (43%), with a small but meaningful
percentage finding a job (5%), earning a promotion (5%), and/
or salary increase (6%) as a result of participating on the Team.
Discussion and Implications
Over the past five years, thousands of veterans have shared their
stories on the profound impact that RWB is having on their lives
by authentically connecting them to their communities, creating
stronger relationships, improving their health, and facilitating a
greater sense of purpose. Indirectly, participating in Team RWB
programs has also increased veterans’ work related outcomes.
For the first time, these findings have been quantitatively
documented through systematic inquiry.
While the inherent biases of the descriptive study rule out a
cause-and-effect relationship (causal inference) that participation
3
The political science field has a well-established civil-military relations literature that, in essence, describes the civil-military “gap” in terms of attitudes of alienation felt
between the military and civil society. See the journal Armed Forces and Society or key texts such as Feaver & Kohn (2001), Huntington (1957), and Janowitz (1960).

(n=1,142)
Veterans (n=594)
12%
16%
16%
26%
31%
43%
50%
53%
70%
82%
25%
30%
32%
47%
54%
Have more trust in civilians
Improve my transition from
military to civilian life
Feel more connected to civilians
Share the challenges that I face,
as a veteran, with civilians
Demonstrate the strengths I have,
as a veteran, with civilians
(n=1,318)
Veterans (n=629)
50%
92%
40%
95%
15%
78%
71%
66%
40%
Taken pride in my teammates'
accomplishments
Observed an inspired/renewed sense
of national pride in our community
Gone outside of my comfort
zone to do something for the
benefits of the team
Figure7. Impacton TeamIdentity
Figure8. Impacton Civilian-MilitarySolidarity
As a member of Team RWB, I have...
has caused me to...

Figure 9. Indirect Impact on Member Families
(n=1,150)
Veterans (n=597)
Find a job
Earn a job promotion
Earn a salary increase
Feel more satisfied with my job
Feel more engaged at work
Be a more productive employee
Feel less stressed at work
Build a better network of contacts
10%
10%
10%
11%
19%
35%
37%
39%
42%
70%
20%
21%
21%
24%
43%
2%
8%
5%
2%
9%
5%
3%
10%
6%
(n=1,152)
Veterans (n=601)
17%
19%
20%
60%
70%
71%
36%
42%
42%
Improve relationships with
my family and friends
Improve my mood and this helps
me be a better family member
Feel personally fulfilled and this helps
me be a better family member
Figure10. IndirectImpactonEmployment
Taking all things into
consideration, being a part of
Team RWB has caused me to...
Taking all things into
consideration, being a part of
Team RWB has caused me to...

increases enrichment, the results are a first step in establishing
Team RWB’s evidence basis. But beyond the self-reported impact
that veterans claim to acquire through Team RWB’s programs,
the key takeaway from the research is that, for the study
participants, the greater the degree of participation in Team RWB
programs, the greater the level of reported enrichment—on all
outcomes measured. In other words, the more one participates
in Team RWB activities, the more one gets out of it. The practical
translation of this engagement-enrichment relationship is the
organization’s continued commitment and operational focus
to create meaningful opportunities for interaction for the team
members. In some chapters, this has led to increased use of
virtual events and impacted chapter-level monthly reporting.
The initial surveys have also offered insights on future
improvements to RWB’s evaluation approach. An overhaul of
internal surveys is already underway to pinpoint understanding
of how new Team members desire to participate on the
Team. The research team is also discussing the possibility of
studying individuals over time (longitudinally). In addition, new
understanding of Team RWB as an evidence based practice will
be informed by the findings of the Teachers College, Columbia
University randomized controlled trial investigating the impact
of Team RWB and Team RWB plus trained peer mentorship on
military to civilian transition stressors, psychological and physical
health, mortality, and arrest (NIH, 2015).
Above all, Team RWB is an organization that values—at all
levels—trust and transparency with its partners, funders, and
community. Research and evaluation of RWB’s programs is and
will remain vital to communicating its impact and improving
how it targets resources to improve and grow its programs.
Executive Director Blayne Smith noted that, “Team RWB is
committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for our
members. Our research has been critically important not just to
program improvement, but also in communicating our impact
to partners, funders, and the community. It supports our goal
of being the most transparent and trusted veteran-serving
nonprofit in America.” Team RWB’s Director of Development
Brandon Young added, “Our low cost, highly inclusive
intervention has gained the trust and support of some of the
most innovative organizations and philanthropists in the world.
With transparency and collaboration as our north star, we have
helped shape how Americans view the interwoven benefits of
health, authentic relationships and a sense of purpose.”
Conclusion
This case illustration of Team RWB highlights the steps the
organization has taken, despite its youth relative to other veteran
and military family serving organizations, and preliminary
results around developing an evidence basis to inform both its
programming and its funders.
Highlighting leading measurement and evaluation practices
is critical given the uncertainty around veteran focused
philanthropy. In the coming years, veteran and military family
serving organizations are likely to see increased competition
for fewer resources, with an ostensible decline in individual,
corporate, and philanthropic giving (P. Carter & Kidder, 2015a,
p. 16). Meanwhile, the philanthropic community feels that
nonprofits “should be held to higher standards of evidence than
they are today to demonstrate the effectiveness of their work”
(Benjamin, 2013; Buteau & Buchanan, 2011, p. 5). Since veterans’
needs will undoubtedly persist into the future, veteran serving
organizations, and other community-wide human service providers,
will be under increased scrutiny to perform and to demonstrate—
with supporting evidence—their outcomes and impact.
The good news is that, as a sector, nonprofit leaders strongly
agree with grantmakers. They see the value and strive to
understand their performance (Brock, Buteau, & Herring, 2012,
pp. 4-5). However, a majority also feel that they could use more
help from their funders to do so, not only in financial terms, but
also in the form of non-monetary engagement and discussion
around evaluation planning, methods, and reporting. (Brock et
al., 2012, pp. 5-8). In practice, not every program is appropriate,
much less feasible in time or resources, for the most scientifically
rigorous, randomized controlled trial evaluation (Gugerty &
Karlan, 2014). As a starting point, however, most grantmakers
and grantees would agree on the value of working together to
co-create cost-effective, data-driven decision making approaches
that measure and drive performance.
With this practical lens in mind, the IVMF aims to sustain a
discussion around measurement and evaluation, performance
measurement, and evidence-based practice. In addition to
highlighting veteran and military serving organizations employing
various evaluation techniques, future products in the series will
include briefs and tools that inform providers and donors on
leading practices, methods, and noteworthy developments across
the veteran and military community to promote greater learning,
keener grantmaking, and more impactful services.

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Methodology
The research design implemented in 2014 and 2015 were a
retrospective, descriptive studies. In 2014, the survey intended
to assess the impact of Team RWB on veteran’s reported
perceptions of connectivity, shared purpose, civilian military divide,
wellbeing, and life satisfaction. The 2015 survey was informed
by and improved upon from the 2014 survey and was designed
to understand how RWB members participate on the team, and
impacted their personal networks, altruism to teammates, sense
of purpose, work and life spillover effects of participation, civilian
military divide, wellbeing, and life satisfaction.
The Team RWB 2014 and 2015 Impact surveys were online
self-report surveys designed by the Eagle Research Center team.
We consulted the academic literature and existing instruments,
which informed the creation of survey items (Carlson, Kacmar,
Wayne, & Grzywacz, 2006; Filo, Funk, & O’Brien, 2009; Grieve,
Indian, Witteveen, Tolan, & Marrington, 2013; Kroenke, Spitzer,
Williams, & Löwe, 2009; Lee & Robbins, 1995). We developed
additional items to reflect measures of connectivity consistent
with Brown’s definition (2010), and ideas on the civilian military
divide gathered from a review of concepts in the mainstream
media available, but an area scant with academic attention or
research. An additional reference on camaraderie contributed to
item development. RWB Chapter Captains also participated in a
focus group in 2015 to inform item creation. In 2014 and 2015,
instruments were field tested by a volunteer senior research
scientist with veterans, civilians, and active duty military
members offered feedback.
Survey methodology remained consistent across both
years: Likert scale questions were designed to measure
participant agreement to each statement as a self-rating
of “enrichment.” Respondents were asked to rate the
extent they “strongly disagreed” to “strongly agreed” with
statements on a five-point scale. A final open ended question
was included to further understand possible satisficing and
social desirability response bias.
In 2014 and 2015, a mass online social media and email
blast was the primary way we recruited a convenience sample.
In 2014, 1,828 veteran Team RWB members (of the estimated
20,250 veteran member roster) responded in a between June
24, 2014 and July 1, 2014. We estimated that the sample size
needed to achieve 95 percent confidence with a 3 percent
margin of error was 1,014. 1,921 members began the survey
(9% of the available population), and 95 percent completed
it (1,828/1,921). In 2015, 19,000 of the 70,000 veteran,
civilian, and active duty Team RWB members were reached
via Facebook during June 22, 2015 and July 5, 2015. 3,186
veterans began the survey and 2,542 completed it (80%
completion rate). Differences in completion rate between 2014
and 2015 are attributed to the increase in the length of the
survey from 38 to 61 items.
After the sampling time frame closed, data was analyzed
by members of the research team. For the purposes of data
reporting, we collapsed the “Disagree” to “Strongly Disagree”
responses into one category and “Agree” to “Strongly Agree”
responses into a single category. For the subgroup analysis
reporting enrichment by activity level, comparisons were made
between those self-defined as “not at all active” and “rarely
active” (collapsed into one category) and those team members
who reported themselves as “frequently” and “very active”
(collapsed into one category).
The limitations of this methodology merit comment. Self-
report descriptive research cannot demonstrate causality
between program participation and outcomes and future
research will need to control for confounding variables.
Additionally, questionnaires would benefit from psychometric
analysis to enhance reliability and validity of measurement. The
research team could not control participants who answered
the survey more than one time. Additionally, we could not
control for self-selection bias into the study or possible bias
introduced through satisficing or reporting socially desirable
effects. Therefore, our conclusions are not generalizable beyond
the sample. We were, however, reassured about the data
quality with the analysis of qualitative comments offered by
participants who described the impact of Team RWB on their
lives in their own words. We estimated that the ratio of “positive”
feedback to “constructive” feedback thus far has been about
3:1, and thereby were reassured that program glamourizing by
participants was not taking place.
APPENDIX A

About Team Red, White & Blue
Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB) is changing the way Americans
engage with veterans and strengthening communities across the Unites
States. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in
Tampa, FL, Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans
by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.
There are currently 172 Team RWB chapters and communities located
throughout the world. To learn more about Team RWB and how you can
help, visit www.teamrwb.org.
About The Institute for Veterans and
Military Families (IVMF)
The IVMF is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education
focused on the social, economic, education, and policy issues impacting
veterans and their families post-service. Through the focus on veterans
programming, research and policy, employment and employer support,
and community engagement, the Institute provides in-depth analysis of
the challenges facing the veteran community, captures best practices, and
serves as a forum to facilitate new partnerships and strong relationships
between the individuals and organizations committed to making a
difference for veterans and military families.

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